Accepted
by Fox Teen
Summary: Tarzan has a dream that Kerchak has accepted him.


It was nighttime in the jungle. Tarzan climbed onto his mother Kala's belly and made himself cozy from her warmth. He was getting ready to rest when he asked:

"Mom? Do you think Kerchak will ever accept me?"

"I don't see why not, Tarzan," smiled Kala. "Faith is a good thing"

As Tarzan lay on his mother's belly, rising up and down, he could see Kerchak in the distance guarding over everyone. Very slowly, he closed his eyes.

…..

"Tarzan."

Tarzan woke up to hear Kerchak. His head over him smiling.

"Good morning, Kerchak," smiled Tarzan groggily.

"Good morning, son."

"Where's Mom?"

"She's gone somewhere with her friends," Kerchak explained. "It's just you and me today."

"Did I do something?" asked Tarzan. He knew Kerchak, he was very easy to anger.

"No," smiled Kerchak. "I'm accepting you. You proved to be no danger to the family at all. I hope you can forgive me, son."

"Of course, Dad!" said Tarzan jumping onto his neck hugging him, but knocking him down.

Sitting on his grey belly, Tarzan asked "What's happening today, Dad?"

"We'll see," said Kerchak. Tarzan got off him as his father rose up and crouched down.  
"All aboard,"

Tarzan jumped onto his father's silver back and they were off.

….

They walked to a huge meadow where it was only them two.

"Let's see you fight like a gorilla," said Kerchak.

Tarzan got off his back as Kerchak sat on his bottom. "Hit me with your best shot."

Tarzan charged at Kerhcak and punched him several times in the belly, but if course he was so small Kerchak couldn't feel a thing but he pretended to go along. Tarzan eventually charged into it like a bull.

"Oof! You hit real well!" Kerchak lied rubbing the spot on his belly where Tarzan had charged.

He showed him several other moves such as flips and pin-downs and many more which Tarzan took inspiration of.

"And here is how you proclaim you victory," said Kerchak. He stood and let out a loud roar and beat his chest, to which Tarzan did the same.

Tarzan ran behind him, climbed on his back and put his arms around his neck.

"Now I've got you!" he laughed.

"Oh no!" played Kerchak. "I'm done for."

And he fell on his front.

Tarzan climbed to his foot and started tickling it.

"Hahahahaha! You cheeky thing you!" laughed Kerchak hysterically.

Then he grabbed him and started tickling him all over.  
"That's what happens when you cross Kerchak!"

Struggling, Tarzan accidentally hit his father in the nose causing him to explode with an angry sneeze making Tarzan laugh.

"Very funny," sniffed Kerchak. Suddenly, he heard his belly rumble.

….

Tarzan and Kerchak climbed up to a huge tree where fresh bananas waited on a big branch. They snapped off many as they could and made a nest to have their lunch. Kerchak sat down eating as Tarzan sat on his lap.

"These are delicious," commented Tarzan, his mouth full of banana.

"Aren't they just?" agreed Kerchak. "Watch this."

He grabbed four bananas; two in each hand and popped them out of their skin. He opened his mouth as all four slotted in.

"Wow!" cried Tarzan. "That was great, Dad!"

"Thank you, glad you like it. _Hic!_ _Burp_!"

Kerchak covered his mouth embarrassed, his face red as Tarzan laughed.

"What shall we do when we finish lunch?"

"Anything you want to do," smiled Kerchak.

"Have you ever played Hide and Seek?"

"Not that I recall. But I would like to give it a try."

"I think you'll love it. Me, Terk and Tantor play it all the time."

"Do you count to ten and find whoever's hiding?"

"Yes."

"I'd like to hide first."

"That leaves me counting.

"We'll have to find another place like those with rocks just my size," said Kerchak. "That way I won't give myself away so easy."

"I saw another field up ahead with big rocks," said Tarzan. "We could play there."  
"Perfect," said Kerchak. "Our playing spot awaits us, so do my hiding spots."

As soon they had finished other bananas, they climbed down the tree and headed for the next field.

"One-two-three-four-"

Tarzan counted up to twenty and gave the signal he was coming. Tarzan was walking pass Kerchak who was hiding in a huge mango bush. But Tarzan sniffed him out. Kerchak counted to twenty and heard giggling up in a tree. He climbed up to find Tarzan with a banana and squeezed it into his face. Kerchak, with a playfully evil smile, tried to grab him but the branch broke and he fell down. Tarzan started the count and when he had finished, he searched through an open space where he saw a huge tree. He climbed up to it but there was no sign of his father. Then he heard giggling inside the tree. He climbed down and searched around to find a hole and blackness. The blackness turned to be fur. He climbed up until he came up to a shoulder and there he found Kerchak.

"I'm coming to get you!" Kerchak laughed.

Tarzan playfully began to run away form the big ape running through trees and brooks when Kerchak finally made huge jump and grabbed him. Lying on his back and holding his son in the air, he said, "Now you will be eaten."

He playfully opened his mouth wide when Tarzan found a mango and dropped it into his mouth.

"Will that do?"

"Very much so," said Kerchak with his mouthful. "But now after lying on my back, it's itching everywhere."

He lay on his front and said, "Will you help me, son?"

Tarzan climbed on his back and scratched everywhere, which Kerchak would occasionally sigh in relaxation.

"Let's try and make each other laugh," said Kerchak.

"You couldn't make a hyena laugh," chuckled Tarzan.

"Oh yeah wise guy?" said Kerchak. "Show me what you can do."

Tarzan could only think of bulging his neck out, swelling his cheeks and sticking his tongue out.

Kerchak chuckled, told Tarzan to stay where he was, went around the corner and was back wearing a vine skirt and a coconut shell on his head, shaking the skirt around on his fours. Tarzan laughed and fell to the floor.

"So, you still I couldn't make a hyena laugh, you hyena?" he laughed taking the dress off.

"Okay, I misjudged you," chortled Tarzan.

Tarzan was asked by Kerchak how vine swings and tree surfs, so Tarzan gave him some tutorials which proved challenging as Kerchak kept breaking the vines by each take-off and each tree arm snapped under his huge weight.

"I'm hot," said Kerchak as they got down from the trees.

"Let's find a pool to cool off in," said Tarzan, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"But gorillas can't swim," said Kerchak.

"Let's find a shallow end where you can stand," said Tarzan.

And that was exactly what they did. They found a pool where Kerchak's feet could reach and when he sat down, the water would come up to his neck. They had a very fun time, splashing each other and finding a slide that went all the way down, Kerchak sitting down with Tarzan in his middle and they zoomed down making an explosive splash until they finally went to a field with the shining sun, sat against a rock letting sun dry them off, Kerchak resting against the rock and Tarzan in his middle, until they eventually went in into the field where they both lie on their backs.

"This day has been amazing, Dad," said Tarzan. But there was no answer because his father was sleeping.

Tarzan suddenly realized it was dark and he was sleeping on top of his mother. It had all been a dream. Tarzan looked at Kerchak who was sleeping a short distance away. He crept over to him.

"Thank you," whispered Tarzan. He turned back towards Kala when –

"Tarzan?"

He looked to see Kerchak staring at him.

"Sorry I woke you, Kerchak."

"You call me Dad now," he smiled. "I had a dream that we had a lot of fun together. Fighting, eating, Hide and Seek-"

"Me as well!" said Tarzan happily. "So you accept me."

"Indeed."

Kerchak opened his arms out and Tarzan ran up to him and hugged him.

Kala woke up to the talking and could see the pair in the distance. She lay there watching them smiling proudly.

"Wanna do anything tomorrow, Ker-Dad?"

"How about the same things we did in our dream?"

"Of course, my son."

Kerchak lay on his back, Tarzan climbing onto of him and unexpectedly tickled his belly, making Kerhcak laugh.

"So why didn't you accept me before?"

"Because," said Kerchak. "Me and your mother used to have another child. were so very much attached to it. We played with him morning 'til night and I would always play fight with him, and give him great fruits to eat. But then one night, Sabor entered our territory. He wandered off and he got in the leopard's way and by the time me and your mother arrived - we were too late."

"So, I ... had a brother?"

"You did," said Kerchak.

"That's dreadful," said Tarzan. "But at least now you still have someone."

"That's very true," smiled Kerchak. "We'd better get some sleep if we're going to do everything in our dream."

Tarzan brought himself close to his father's chest, his huge furry arms wrapping him away from the chill. Alas he got to sleep with his father feeling his warmth. While sleeping, Tarzan felt his heart beating. Yes, exactly the same as each other.


End file.
